Chapter 23: Sony Columbia

At night, Arthur half-lay on the bed, his hands on Jennifer Aniston's head, the intense stimulation causing him to moan.

Jennifer Aniston, with her mouth full, glanced up at Arthur. Seeing his genuinely pleased expression, she decided to tease him.

Suddenly, she lifted her head, causing Arthur to feel a sudden emptiness. He asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Arthur, do you love me?" Jennifer Aniston asked as she caressed his abs.

"Yes, I do!"

"How much do you love me?" Jennifer Aniston blinked her big eyes.

"To the bone," Arthur replied, his hand moving on Jennifer's hair.

Seeing Arthur's expression, Jennifer Aniston smiled, "Alright, here I come!" She then lowered her head to continue what she was doing.

After an unknown period, Jennifer Aniston came out of the bathroom and lay down next to Arthur, who was smoking a cigarette.

She took the cigarette from Arthur's mouth, took a puff, and frowned, "It's not that great, just a cloud of choking smoke!"

"It helps me relax," Arthur smiled.

"Well, I forbid you from touching hallucinogens or marijuana," Jennifer Aniston reminded Arthur, "Otherwise, you'll never experience the pleasure you just had again!"

Arthur shook his head, "Don't worry, I hate those things. But during the filming of Edward Scissorhands in Florida, Johnny Depp often indulged in them."

Jennifer Aniston nodded, resting her head on Arthur's shoulder and reaching under the covers, "Alright, just don't be friends with him. Those things do no good, only harm!"

"Haha, I know that," Arthur said nonchalantly. He inherently rejected those things. 

"Are you leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow?"

"It's already September, I need to go back. My agent has already returned, and I need to refine the Sleepless in Seattle script," Arthur said, extinguishing his cigarette.

"But I'll definitely return to New York for the filming of Sleepless in Seattle, just not sure when yet."

"I'll wait for you," Jennifer Aniston said, noticing the change in Arthur. "Still good?"

"Of course," Arthur replied without hesitation. How could a man say no?

Then Arthur had Jennifer Aniston sit on top of him...

After spending a few days in New York, Arthur returned to Los Angeles. As wonderful as Jennifer Aniston was, she couldn't outweigh the importance of his career.

At ITA, Tracy Jacobs looked at Arthur incredulously, "Are you sure you want to sign that contract with Castle Rock? If the box office doesn't reach $50 million, you'll be giving them the script for free?"

"Calm down, Tracy. This is to get them to invest quickly," Arthur said with a nonchalant expression. "Trust me, Sleepless in Seattle will blow everyone away. Besides, you can negotiate for profit-sharing after the movie's release."

"I've put in so much effort, and although I'm a newbie, if the movie succeeds, Castle Rock Entertainment will have to give some rewards, right?"

Tracy Jacobs sighed, "I'll handle it. If the movie does well, I'll negotiate a substantial bonus for you. For now, focus on refining the script with Nora Ephron."

Arthur nodded, giving Tracy a reassuring look, "No problem."

After leaving ITA, Arthur bought some newspapers and returned to his home in Northridge, San Fernando Valley. Though he had the key to Winona Ryder's Hollywood home, Arthur preferred to check in occasionally.

In September, Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures was finalized. Coca-Cola, the controlling shareholder of Columbia Pictures, accepted Sony's offer.

After discussions by Columbia's board, the decision to sell was made. After over a year of negotiations and twenty days of cash bidding, Sony announced the $3.4 billion acquisition of Columbia Pictures and assumed $1.6 billion in debt. 

Sony successfully completed the acquisition, setting a new record for the highest acquisition by a Japanese company.

"Not long after Mitsubishi Estate bought Rockefeller Center, Sony made its move," Arthur pondered while sitting on the couch. Matsushita's acquisition of MCA (Music Corporation of America) was also imminent.

MCA owned Universal Pictures, one of Hollywood's big six studios.

Movies were a source of American pride, and Japanese company involvement caused a public outcry. Sony had already partnered with CBS to form Sony/Columbia Records.

Sony's purchase of Columbia Records shares was recent, and Sony/CBS was rebranded Sony Music.

"Akio Morita and Norio Ohga are moving fast," Arthur mused, tossing the newspaper aside. Sony was truly formidable.

Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures fueled a media frenzy. Akio Morita, Sony's founder, and president repeatedly stated, "This is not a Japanese cultural invasion. We don't intend to send Japanese managers into Columbia!"

Norio Ohga emphasized Sony's motto of "global localization," ensuring the acquired company maintained its American identity.

After acquiring Columbia Pictures, Sony renamed it Sony Pictures Entertainment, with Columbia Pictures as a subsidiary.

Sony also swiftly announced a $200 million acquisition of Guber-Peters Entertainment Company, hiring its partners, renowned producers Peter Guber and Jon Peters, as co-chairmen of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

However, Peter Guber and Jon Peters had contracts with Warner Bros. They were responsible for this year's blockbuster Batman.

Warner Bros. publicly declared its intention to sue Sony for unfair competition!

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. was negotiating a merger with Time Inc., meaning the lawsuit might not commence anytime soon.

Arthur rubbed his face, "A few years ago, Australia's News Corp acquired 20th Century Fox and brought in former Paramount President Barry Diller to establish Fox Broadcasting Company."

"With Columbia belonging to Sony, Universal and Paramount will soon change hands. The era of the six major studios becoming parts of large media conglomerates is approaching!"

"What a time to be alive," Arthur couldn't help but marvel.

*****

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